Police: Robber left mail in getaway van

An investigator approaches a van Friday morning that matches the description of the getaway vehicle used in the robbery of a Delavan liquor story.

ELKHORN  Police say a bungling liquor store robber left his mail and a receipt identifying his girlfriend in the getaway van he abandoned in a nearby Delavan parking lot, leading pursuing police straight to him.

Randy W. Fitzgerald, 33, of Milwaukee, was scheduled to appear in court today on an armed robbery charge for the April 8 holdup of the Hooch Hut.

If convicted, Fitzgerald faces a prison sentence of up to 40 years.

According to a criminal complaint:

The store owner told police a man came to the counter, pointed a gun at him and told him to get down. The man was peeling an apple and eating it with a knife when he entered the store, according to the complaint.

The store owner told police he gave the man about $500 in cash.

Three witnesses gave police a description of the robber and his getaway van, which police found a short distance from the liquor store.

A check revealed the van was owned by Fitzgerald’s girlfriend, and a piece of Fitzgerald’s mail fell out of the van when police opened a door. Police also found a receipt for an oil change that had girlfriend’s name on it.

The girlfriend first told police she believed Fitzgerald had gone to Delavan on the day of the holdup to help his friend. After the robbery, Fitzgerald called her to say the van had broken down and he left it at their former home in Illinois.

The woman later told police Fitzgerald told her that he had robbed a liquor store with a name that began with the letter “H”, and that he had used a fake gun.